Hammock.



W. H. DAVIS.

HAMMOCKV APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1915.

Patented May 2,1916.

W17 Java s WILLIAM H. DAVIS, OF CROZET, VIRGINIA.

HAMMOGK.

Application filed March 16, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Crozet, in the county of Albemarle and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hammocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hammocks and has special reference to that class of hammocks in which a canvas or other fabric body is suspended by means of ropes or other flexible attachments secured to the ends of the body, and in which a spreader bar is fitted in one end of the body so as to extend the fabric at the head of the hammock.

The present invention has for its object the provision of simple and inexpensive means for securing the spreader bar within the fabric and also attaching the suspending cables or other devices to the hammock.

The invention also seeks to facilitate the removal of the fabric for washing, repairing or other purposes, as well as the attachment and adjustment of the cables or suspending devices.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter fully described, the novel features of the invention being subsequently particularly pointed out in the claim following the description.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a hammock embodying my present improvements; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section through the spreader bar and showing the manner of attaching the suspending cable thereto; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same; and Fig. 4 is a plan view illustrating a slight modification.

A hammock constructed in accordance with my invention is preferably composed of a body 1 of canvas or other fabric having its edges folded over upon its main portion and stitched thereto, as indicated at 2, to form hems 3. Through the hem at the head of the hammock, I insert a spreader bar 4 which is equal in length to the width of the fabric body, and the said spreader bar is provided with a plurality of eyes or rings 5 to which the suspending cable 6 is attached. A similar construction is employed at the foot end of the hammock, but at this end the bar does not extend the entire width of the hammock and, instead of a single bar, I preferably employ a plu- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Serial No. 14,725.

fabric body may be securely attached to the bar at the same time the eyes or rings to receive the suspending cable are brought into position.

The suspending cable is attached to the eye or r ng preferably in the manner clearly shown 1n F igs. 2 and 3, upon reference to which it will be seen that the end of the cable is inserted through the eye, as indicated at 8, and is then carried around the shank of the eye between the head or the body of the same and the hammock bar, as shown at 9, the extremity of the cable bemg then inserted through the uppermost blght 10 of the cable between the same and the body or head of the securing ring or eye, as shown at 11. The extremity of the cable may then be knotted, as indicated at "12, if desired, to prevent raveling, or may be otherwise finished, as may be preferred. It will be readily noted that, when the cable has been applied to the eye or ring, in the manner shown and described, which may be accomplished very quickly and easily, any strain exerted upon the suspended cable by the weight placed upon the hammock, when the same is in use, will tend to draw the bight 10 of the cable more closely to and in more intimate contact with the portion of the cable passing therethrough, and will bind or clamp said portion against the eye or ring so that the separation or Withdrawal of the cable from the eye will not occur. The greater weight placed upon the hammock, the more securely will the cable be clamped in the attaching eye or ring.

The provision of attaching eyes or rings beyond the ends of the fabric body permits the use of the particular knot or fastening shown and described in detail, and this knot is very desirable as it may be rapidly formed at any point along the cable and any desired length of cable attained between the fixed support and the hammock body. Moreover, the sustaining strain is not concentrated on a few threads of the fabric but will be transmitted through the blocks and caused to diverge through a large number of strands and eventually spread over the entire area of the body through the stitching which secures the hem.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a slight modification of the invention, in which the attaching eye or ring, indicated at 13, is formed integral with the hammock bar 14, which may be of metal. In the use of this particular construction, the fabric for the hammock body will be provided with small slots which will be engaged over the attaching eye, whereas, in the previously described form, it is not necessary to provide such slots in the fabric, as the openings will be formed by the insertion of the screw shanks therethrough.

Other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the. invention as the same is defined in the following claim, and it will bereadily noted that I have provided an exceedingly simple'and inexpensive device, by the use of which the hammock body will be very firmly secured to the hammock bar and suspended from its support. In both illustrated forms, it

will be noted that a space is provided between the hammock bar and the edge or side of the eye, ring, hook or loop in which the suspending cable may be frictionally clamped. It will also be noted that the construction is such that the body fabric' may be easily removed from the hammock bar when necessary and the assembling of the parts in a complete hammock is a very simple proceeding.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

llhe oombination of a hammock body fabric having hems at its ends, a hammock bar in the hem at one end ofthe body fabric and co-extensive therewith, a plurality: of shorter'barsin the hem at the opposite end of the fabric, attachingrings oarried'by the bars, and suspendingcables securedtosaid rings.

In testimony whereof'I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses,

WILLIAM H DAVIS. ['L. s] Witnesses:

JOSEPH C. ZIRKLE, R. W. BIsHoP.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each; by addressing. .the Commissioner ofxlatents, Washington, D. G. 

